08/23/07 ISDA marketing division brings home an award

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture's Market Development division has received an award for its Idaho Preferred Healthy Harvest school program. The annual North American Agriculture Marketing Excellence award recognizes the best innovative and effective ag marketing from the US states and Canadian provinces. ISDA's Leah Clark says they have a two fold goal with the school program. They wanted to educate children about Idaho food and agriculture. There are some children who know little about the source of their food. One example, a school corn husking relay race. Grab the ear, husk and run. CLARK "And we had kids that just stopped in the middle of all this pandemonium and said 'there's corn in here.'" Idaho Preferred also wanted to get Idaho fruits and vegetables on school lunch menus and promote Healthy Harvest. CLARK "Which encouraged schools to really teach about and celebrate the harvest but not only harvest as we think about it but just how nutritious it is and what a great combination it is to have local fruits and vegetables, being able to talk to kids about how important it is to eat more fruits and vegetables." More than 40 schools featured fresh Idaho fruits and vegetables on their menus last year reaching more than 50 thousand students. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott